Does your dog really pay attention to you?

I love this photo.

It was taken at a recent workshop I was teaching. It demonstrates all that a good relationship with your dog is about. Attention

Attention is everything.

If your dog has learned to pay attention to you (especially when you really need it most – during distracting circumstances!) then you have it all. You and your dog can embark on any adventure and know you will be safe and secure because Fido will listen and pay attention when you speak.

Teaching a dog to pay attention involves getting their attention to begin with and then rewarding them for the behavior. One of the  common mistakes I see people make is that they chatter and talk to their dog too much to begin with. We don’t mean to, but we end up teaching our dogs to ignore the sound of our voice. Any intention is lost in the constant banter of “Oh, no, no…why did you do that, you know you should not jump on Uncle John, you should know better, now be a good dog and just go lay down?”  It is far more successful to teach your dog the meaning of words like “sit” or “down” then simply use that one word and have your dog pay attention to it.

Teach yourself to say what you mean and mean what you say.

If you need some help…866-DOG-LADY or learn the skills at home.

You can achieve the same picture with your dog, anywhere, anytime!

Woof!